2. Draw an imaginary line of light from the center of the Rose Cross just formed to the Southwest corner of the room (B), draw another large Rose Cross in the air there, again vibrating Jeheshua. Again see the sketched cross solidify.

3. Draw an imaginary line of light from the center of the Rose Cross just formed to the Northwest corner of the room (C), draw another large Rose Cross in the air there, again vibrating Jeheshua. Again, see the cross solidify.

4. Draw the imaginary line of light from the center of the Rose Cross just formed to the Northeast corner of the room, (D), draw another large Rose Cross in the air there, again vibrating Jeheshua. Once again, see the cross solidify.

5. Complete the circle by drawing the line of light back to the Southeast where you started. Point at the center of the Rose Cross which is already there. It is not necessary to re-draw the cross, for it is already there. It is not necessary to re-vibrate the name, for the cross is already charged with energy.

6. Having completed the warding of the horizontal perimeter, you are now going to ward the above and below. From the center of the Southeastern Rose Cross draw a line of light in an arc over your head , walking as you do so, until you return to the center of the room (T). At this position you should be pointing directly above your head. Draw a large Rose Cross in the air above your head (E) and vibrate the name Jeheshua. This commences the second arc. See the Rose Cross solidify into the form of a brilliant blood-red rose blooming on a cross of gold.

7. From the center of this Rose Cross bring the arch over and down to the Northwest so that you are pointing to the Rose Cross already there. Again, there is no need to draw or vibrate at a Rose Cross which already exists. You merely mentally acknowledge that it is there when you reach it.

8. From the center of the Rose Cross in the Northwest bring the arch down under the floor, walking back to the center of the room (T) as you do so. You will now be pointing directly at a spot below the center of the room (F). Make a Rose Cross there and vibrate the name. Again, see the Rose Cross solidify. Then continue the arc back to the starting point in the Southeast, mentally acknowledging the Rose Cross already there.

9. From the center of the Rose Cross in the Southeast follow with your pointing finger the arc of light which is already there back to the vertical center (E), mentally acknowledging the Rose Cross which is already there over your head. You may re-vibrate the name on this occasion to mark the beginning of the third arc. Trace this third arc by drawing an imaginary line of light from the Rose Cross over your head (E) over and down to the Northeast, walking as you do so, until you are pointing at the already existing Rose Cross in the Northeast (D).

10. From there draw the arc down under the floor back to the nadir point (F) mentally acknowledging the Rose Cross already there. Bring the line of light through the center of this lower Rose Cross over in an arc and up to the Rose Cross already present in the Southwest (B).

11. Complete the circle by drawing the line up to the apex point (E) over the center of the room.

12. Back at the center of the room, perform the Qabalistic Cross once again, which makes a large Rose Cross of yourself. Visualize yourself at the center of this network of Rose Crosses and lines of light.

Variations on the Rose Cross

There are a number of variations in the way the RCR can be performed. Any of these are alright.

1. At the finish you may wish to draw a large Rose Cross in the center, in lieu of, or in addition to the closing Qabalistic Cross. Regardless, the geometric significance is the same, for the Rose Cross Ritual forms a Cube of Space with the operator at the center or Tav Point. The Cube of Space is an ancient qabalistic concept based on assignment of the paths on the Tree of Life to directions in space. Diagrams of the Cube label the center point Tav. (For more information see The Tarot by Paul Foster Case or The Cube of Space by Kevin Townley.)

2. Some rubrics call for the drawing of a large Rose Cross at one of the cross-quarters at the end.

3. Sometimes, the instructions call for a special vibration for the final Rose Cross. One half of the arc of the final circle upon the cross is drawn while vibrating Jeheshua, and the other half while vibrating Jehovashah, that is JHVShH. This symbolizes that the Shin of the Spirit has permeated the personal vehicles of the operator, uniting the Son, Vav, with the Daughter, Heh-final.

4. Any working implement can be used while tracing the RCR, including one or two fingers, a wand, sword, or dagger. The suggestion by Kraig to use a lighted joss stick is very effective as an aid to visualization.

Special Points About Using the Rose-Cross Ritual

1. The Rose Cross Ritual purifies and protects the space without creating portals for the entry of entities. Symbolically, the Rose Cross Ritual centers the working space at the level of Tiphareth. Tiphareth is Sphere Six on the Tree of Life, and a cube is a six-sided figure. The Rose Cross Ritual creates, in effect, a Cube of space, as we have seen, with six Rose Crosses marking the six faces. The extension of six is 21, the number of the Tarot Key 21, The World, corresponding to Tav, attributed to the Center Point. Another clue to this being a higher plane working is the use of the cross-quarters, since these are often symbols of another level.

In contrast, the conventional LBRP centers the working space at Yesod and opens portals to the higher realms. In the LBRP, the operator can be thought of as standing at the junction of the 25th and 27th Paths on the Tree of Life, making openings in the Veil of Paroketh. In the RCR, the operator is standing at Tiphareth.

2. Unlike the LBRP, nothing is opened or closed with the RCR. Therefore the RCR does not need to be taken down or banished at the end of a working. It can be repeated or not, as desired. The RCR energy gradually fades into the environment over time, enriching the location with spiritual energy.

3. Unlike the LBRP, the RCR does not excite or stir up energy. Therefore it is much more suitable to use before meditation or bedtime. This also makes it much more appropriate for use in someone else’s space such as a church, hotel room, or conference center.

Wynn Westcott of the Golden Dawn wrote of the Rose Cross Ritual, "...it is like a veil. The Pentagrams protect, but they also light up the astral and makes entities aware of you...When much distracted use the Ritual of the Rose Cross to maintain peace."

4. By tradition, the RCR is said to confer invisibility. This should not be taken literally, but rather in a subtle sense. Because it does not center the working on the astral, it is invisible to astral entities. Further, it has a cloaking effect on the mental plane, so that sentient entities (like people) seem not to notice. It is not as if they do not see, but that they take no interest. For this reason, the RCR is useful to protect something against vandalism.

Closing Note

These instructions regarding the performance of the Rose Cross Ritual should allow the student to begin working in earnest at its practice. A few hints have been given about some of the symbolism, but there are great riches here which await discovery. It is our wish that art shall lead to life and the Spirit will blossom in the lives of all who read these words.

The placement of the Shin in the center of the Tetragrammaton converts it to the Pentagrammaton and indicates the influx of the Holy Spirit, the Ruach Elohim, symbolized by the Shin, into dense matter. This means that Spirit rules matter, and specifically that the spiritualized human, the lesser Vav, is taking his or her place as an aspect of the greater Vav in the Divine Formula. Vav is the nail, and this is the function that links. In this case, the spiritualized human links the Superiors (Atziluth and Briah) with the Inferiors (Yetzirah and Assiah). Vav, the Qabalistic Son at Tiphareth, is the King and ruler of the elements below in the worlds of Yetzirah and Assiah.

This Qabalistic Son is the Christos, the Redeemer of Matter, and the Mediator between the worlds. Viewed in this light, the Pentagrammaton is not a personal name, but rather is a title.

Further Jeheshua literally means "Jah liberates." Jah is the God-name assigned to Chokmah, the sphere of Wisdom. Therefore, it is really Wisdom that liberates. Wisdom can do none other, for it is our destiny to be free.

What is depicted qabalistically with the letter name JHShVH is the same thing depicted graphically with the circled cross. The Circle is the Spirit, corresponding to Shin, and the Cross is the elements corresponding to the other four letters. It is therefore completely appropriate that this name be used.

Pagan oriented people should note that this is almost the same symbolism that is found in the pentagram and the sigil of the planet Venus. The pentagram depicts five points, with the topmost point of Spirit sitting atop the four points of the elements. The pentagram is the sigil of humankind, and it is the awakened man or woman who is Lord or Lady of the elements. The Venus sigil is cognate with the circled cross except that in the former the circle sits atop the cross, whereas in the latter it lies over its center. The significance is the same.

Performance of the Rose Cross Ritual

1. Begin by standing in the center of the room (see Figure 3, point T) and perform the Qabalistic Cross while facing East. Then walk to the Southeast corner of the room (A) and make a large Rose Cross in the air, and pointing to the center of it, vibrate Jeheshua as instructed. See it solidify into an actual blood-red rose blooming on a golden cross.

Yod	Fire	Atziluth	Kether-Chokmah	Father
Heh Prime	Water	Briah	Binah	Mother
Vav	Air	Yetzirah	Tiphareth	Son
Heh Final	Earth	Assiah	Malkuth	Daughter

As you draw the circle vibrate the name Jeheshua, JHShVH (pronounced Yeh-hesh-oo-ah), timing it so that you can finish the circle and thrust your finger at the center of the cross on the last syllable "Ah" of JHShVH. Visualize the cross turning a bright gold color and the circle spinning and turning into a blood-red rose (Figure 2).

THE ROSE CROSS RITUAL

By Emmanuel Rose.

The Rose Cross Ritual (RCR) is one of several ceremonial techniques including the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (LBRH) commonly used to ward a space or create a psychically cleansed area for spiritual or magical work. The RCR has certain differences from the others which make it useful. These points will be covered after instructions on how to perform the ritual.

Casting the Circle

The RCR creates a circle or sphere of protected space which can be thought of as a curtain or bubble of energy surrounding the working area. Generally one will want to ward the entire room one is working in, so the perimeter of the bubble should roughly approximate the room. It is OK if the bubble of energy projects slightly outside the walls if the room is irregular in shape. Particularly the bottom and top of the bubble may project through the floor or ceiling, especially if a sphere is visualized. It is fine if mundane furniture in the room falls without the circle.

It helps the visualization to let the walls of the room assist in containing the energy, for physical walls reinforce the mental sense of protection, and it is the mind that does the work. In general, it is a harder to visualize protection of only a small area around yourself when you are in a room which is much larger.

We have found that when working out of doors, without any walls, it is harder to cast any kind of circle. In such a case, using natural boundaries to define the space warded helps, such as trees or rocks. This is probably why clearings surrounded by a wall of trees, sacred groves, or circles of standing stones have been favorite sites for ceremonies. We have found that erecting banners helps define an outdoor space. Rarely, when working with a small group in a very large room, we have again used banners to circumscribe an area to be warded instead of using the entire room.

The Basic Image

The basic image of the Rose Cross Ritual in operation is of a rectangular bubble of white light surrounding the operator with Rose Crosses glowing at four points around the circle, at the apex above the center, at the nadir below the center, and at the center of the room. This totals seven Rose Crosses in all, six at the periphery and one in the center. Each Rose Cross except the one in the center of the room is connected to the others by a line of light. This creates an image similar to lines of a force field. The Bubble is often slightly squashed into a rectangular shape along the sides since most rooms are usually rectangular in shape. The Rose Crosses at the periphery are not in the true quarters of the room – East, South, West, and North – but in the cross quarters – Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast. It really doesn’t matter what sequence you follow in tracing the lines and drawing the Rose Crosses, as long as they are all there when you finish. Different techniques are given by different authorities, and we will give the one given in our tradition.

The Rose Crosses

Each Rose Cross is drawn as a large circled Calvary Cross about as tall as you are. A Calvary Cross is not an equal armed cross, but rather is a cross with the lower limb extended longer than the others. Aside from the obvious Christian reference, the meaning is that the energy is rooted in earth or grounded. Heraldically, a related term is "fixed at the foot." This is an important esoteric principle, for this technique, like many magical operations "is integrating, if it be turned into earth" to quote the Emerald Tablet. When facing any cross, the top limb, pointing to Kether on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, corresponds to Air; the right limb, pointing to Chesed on the Tree, corresponds to Water; the left limb, pointing to Geburah on the Tree, corresponds to Fire; and the lower limb, pointing to Malkuth on the Tree, corresponds to Earth.

Upon the cross a circle is drawn which indicates Spirit, the quintessence, since a circle represents the ineffable and eternal. The rose is another symbol for Spirit, and after tracing the circle, it is seen to turn into a rose. As the old lore states, the rose of Spirit blooms on the cross of the elements.

The rose is red, indicating the link between sublimated desire and spiritual attainment. The rose is also a symbol of Netzatch, and this is one hint of the hidden esoteric relationship between Netzach and Tiphareth. The cross is gold. This suggests that the natural elemental forces of the operator’s being have been transmuted into pure gold, making it a suitable basis for manifestation of the Divine Spirit

Drawing the Cross

In front of you draw a large cross in the air, about three or four feet tall. First draw the vertical limb of the cross from top to bottom (Figure 1, motion 1). The topmost point of the vertical component of the cross should extend from somewhat above your head to below your sacral plexus. Then draw the horizontal limb of the cross from left to right (Figure 1, motion 2). Finally draw the circle atop the cross, beginning at the vertical limb and going clockwise (Figure 1, motion 3). Make the horizontal arm of the cross and the circle proportionate to the length of the vertical limb (see Figure 1). Draw the circle quickly and with energy as if setting a top spinning.